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Like many Euphorbiaceaes, all the part of the hourglass are toxic. This large tree latex is used as ichtyotoxique and coat arrow heads. The Hura contains 2 species: Hura crepitans and Hura polyandra both Southern and Central America. the tree however naturalized in many tropical areas including Africa which can form locally colonies.

Hura crepitans fruit capsules resembling small wood pumpkins, they explode loudly at maturity to propel the seeds up to 25 meters of the mother plant; This is the ballistic dispersion distance record, IE explosion. The seed is very purgative, it is flat, soft and looks like a small host. Woody and slightly twisted demi-carpelles are used in jewelry and crafts, they naturally look like small dolphins. (source: sitegrainesdumonde.com)